Misc: who wrote on the road?

Questions

what singer/guitar player opened for the monkees during his first u.s.tour?

What singer/songwriter was the inspiration for neil sedaka's oh carol?

what song by don mclean talks about the day buddy holly died?

What song by jim croce reached number one on the charts after his death?

what song by tom petty was sung in the movie "silence of the lambs"?